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Elizabeth Barraza, a 29-year-old woman, was shot and killed on January 25, 2019. She was standing outside her Tomball, Texas, home to prepare for her garage sale early that morning about 7 a.m., after her husband, Sergio Barraza, left for work.
In the surveillance video, a masked assailant approached Liz, shot her four times in the chest and abdomen with a revolver, then ran away in a dark Nissan Frontier truck. Although numerous investigations with FBI and Texas Rangers have been done, the case still remains unsolved for the girl's murder.
This has persisted for almost five years. The mystery of such a case is thus attributed to this case as nobody seems to know its perpetrators or why. The latest episode of the Crime Junkie Podcast is MURDERED: Elizabeth Barraza, released on January 16, 2025.
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Incident details
According to ABC13, as she set up for a garage sale on January 25, 2019, Elizabeth Barraza was the victim of an attack by an assailant who ambushed her at her Cedar Walk Drive home. As it was reported, he approached her while she prepared for a garage sale and managed to shoot her four times, and fled in a dark Nissan Frontier pickup truck.
According to ABC13, the attack was planned; nothing was taken from the scene; thus, investigators concluded that robbery was not the motive. The surveillance footage of the suspect's vehicle revealed the following critical details: it shows that the Nissan Frontier drove past Liz's house multiple times before the shooting incident happened, showing that the shooter was monitoring her movements.
According to ABC13, the attacker must have known that Liz was not going to be at work on that particular morning because, being off duty to host a garage sale, she had spent the entire morning at home alone. Liz's father, Bob Nuelle Jr., believes that the murder was a hit rather than a random killing. He said,
"No, it's not a random thing... The person who shot her... was paid to shoot her."
Investigation of Elizabeth Barraza's case
According to ABC13, the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is investigating Liz's murder. They have reviewed hours of surveillance footage from around the neighborhood and identified the suspect's vehicle as a dark-colored Nissan Frontier Pro 4X model. So far, no one has been arrested.
According to ABC13, the case has drawn attention from other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Texas Rangers. In addition, investigators interviewed several people who were close to the victim and presumably knew about Liz's garage sale.
Since it was not on social media widely and only several signs were scattered in her street, they made a list of suspects as mainly close friends or family members since they were presumed to have prior knowledge. But all were accounted for by the time she was shot.
According to ABC13, the Barraza family has been very proactive in keeping Liz's memory alive and seeking justice. They have a website dedicated to her case and offer a $50,000 reward through Crime Stoppers for any information leading to an arrest. Liz's husband Sergio has also spoken publicly about his heartbreak over losing his wife and his hope that justice will eventually be served.
Community response and legacy
According to ABC13, the murder of Elizabeth Barraza has caused outrage and sadness within her community and beyond. Many remember Liz as a kind-hearted person who dedicated much of her time to charity work through groups like the 501st Legion, which visits sick children in hospitals dressed as Star Wars characters.
According to ABC13, public interest remains high in this case because of its unresolved status and the chilling nature of the crime. The local news outlet continues to air updates on the investigation, which keeps Elizabeth Barraza's story alive in public consciousness.
According to ABC13, her family underlines that somebody must know something about what happened that day and encourages anyone with information to come forward.
Listen to MURDERED: Elizabeth Barraza on Crime Junkie Podcast for more details on the case.
